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Netflix’s ‘You People’ wasn’t funny at all to my Black and Mexican Jewish family
(JTA) — As a couple that is two parts Jew, one part Black, and all parts lovers of comedy, my husband and I sat with hopes (maybe not high ones) to watch Netflix’s “You People.”
It’s not often that we see our cultures represented together in buzzy movies, especially not ones set in Los Angeles, the city we love so much, and with the comedy king Eddie Murphy in the cast, and we were excited about the possibility of seeing ourselves reflected in the story of blended Black and Jewish families.
Unfortunately, at the expense of comedy greats including Murphy, Jonah Hill, Deon Cole, Elliot Gould and Julia Louis Dreyfus (with cameos by so many others!), the movie ended up being a painful reminder of how our family — made up of Mexican and Black Jews with Ashkenazi roots — so often must explain and justify our existence in Jewish and Black spaces.
The movie starts off with Jonah Hill’s character very comfortably recording his podcast about “the culture” (ostensibly, hip-hop culture?) with his Black, queer best friend, seeming to set the stage for the progressive coolness that will later allow him to date someone who is not “square” and potentially Black. Hill’s character loves rap music, sneaker culture and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, and he knows not to say the full title of that song from Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” album.
Yet we find him in scenarios that time and again have him playing into uncomfortable tropes — like saying “our boy” when referring to Malcolm X — as he quickly and nervously falls into defining Black culture at its most reductionist form. It’s no surprise then, that the film goes on to portray Blackness as a monolithic, one-dimensional stereotype.
It doesn’t get any better when we see Hill’s character in a Jewish space: High Holiday services at the Skirball Cultural Center, here serving as a synagogue. There and throughout the movie, Jews are portrayed as white and uncool — sometimes aggressively so, almost as if the writers didn’t trust the audience to know this family is Jewish if not for the mom complaining about tattoos and trying to set up her son with a highly educated daughter of a friend.
My husband and I have been to the Skirball Center on many occasions, one of them being a wedding for two supremely cool Jews of color. But you would never know from the movie that such an event could ever take place, or even that Jews of color exist in Los Angeles — even though, ironically, the actor playing Jonah Hill’s eventual love interest is Black and identifies as half-Jewish. Instead, in creating the world for “You People,” the writers continue a dated tradition of movies that overly simplify the worlds they depict based on racial binaries.
This flattened view of the world is especially lamentable because the rom-com genre has at its fingertips the easiest blueprint: All families are ridiculous and oftentimes the blending of two families even more so. Within my family alone, there are several different cultures that consistently push against each other in humorous ways. There’s “nerd culture,” “comic book culture,” “skate culture,” “food culture.” Even in my culturally blended family, where my Mexican immigrant parents regularly share meals with my Black mother-in-law, the resulting humor has never been about racial differences. In a story where the message is that we can all get along, we don’t need the punchline to be about race.
The Silversteins, from left: Joshua, Ami, Laila, Shel and Cinthya, outside of their Los Angeles home in 2021. (Casey Durkin/NBC)
“You People” could have told a story in which Jonah Hill’s character actually subverts the standard narrative, maybe one in which his character realizes how easy it is to fetishize Blackness and through experiences with his father-in-law comes to find the richness and fullness of Black culture that can even be expanded by his own Jewish background when blending his family with his fiancée’s. Or a movie in which a member of the Nation of Islam tries to openly accept a Jewish son-in-law and, rather than using Louis Farrakhan as an awkwardly divisive plot point, we see instead a Muslim Eddie Murphy try to find ways to connect with modern day hip-hop culture. Either option would allow the audience to see the layers in these characters that we are so often erased from narratives about Jewishness or Blackness.
Instead the writers opted for the easiest avenue: comedy based on persistent racial “othering.” But the differences shown are no longer based on any actual truth. They are based on beliefs we have been told to keep repeating in an effort to keep the agenda of white supremacy intact. The writers are depicting worn-out “differences” that don’t represent an authentic Jewish or authentic Black experience. Presenting any cultural experience as the “authentic” one is just another way of saying stereotypes are true — and that’s not funny at all.
Several years ago, my family participated in Ava Duvernay’s life-swap show in which we traded homes and experiences with a family of white Mormons. Our goal at the time was to show examples of coexistence and to demonstrate how contemporary identities are multilayered. But we also hoped that the experience would help us find greater acceptance as Jews of color, which still feels generally elusive. “You People” underscored for us why.
At one point during the life-swap, my husband said to me, “Listen, when you’re Black and Jewish, and everything hurts, laughter is the best medicine.” But laughter doesn’t come easily when the jokes only make sense if you don’t exist.
Sure, there were a few chuckles in my house during “You People.” The comedian Mike Epps was funny as he always is, and I laughed when Jonah Hill showed up to his date in a tie-dye sweatsuit, in a very L.A. move. But for nearly two hours, all I could think about was how “You People” feels like a movie for folks who are clinging to stereotypes because it helps them feel comfortable with their own cultural identities, which once were dominant but now must share real estate with others that are equally authentic. By confining the definition of culture to a singular idea of “race” this movie prevents an important conversation from moving forward. And that means my family, and so many other Jewish families, are once again left behind.
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The post Netflix’s ‘You People’ wasn’t funny at all to my Black and Mexican Jewish family appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Poetry in drama: Sutzkever’s stories come alive on the stage
יעדע פּיעסע איז נישט נאָר אַן אױפֿפֿירונג פֿון אַ סקריפּט, נאָר אױך אַן אינטערפּרעטאַציע דערפֿון. דאָס איז נאָך מער שײך אַ פּיעסע װאָס איז אַן אינסצענירונג פֿון די שאַפֿונגען פֿון אַ פּאָעט.
די פֿאָרשטעלונג „נאַכט־מעשׂיות“, װאָס שפּילט אין מאַנהעטן ביזן 11טן יאַנואַר, איז כּדאַי צו זען נישט נאָר צוליב די געניטע, פּרעציזע אַקטיאָרן װאָס שפּילן אין איר (שײן בייקער און מרים־חיה סגל), און נישט נאָר צוליב דער מוזיקאַלישער באַגלײטונג פֿון אורי שרעטער, נאָר אױך, און לױט מײַן מײנונג אפֿשר דער עיקר, צוליב די געלונגענע פֿאַרשטאַנדן פֿון אַבֿרהם סוצקעװערס װערק װאָס דער רעזשיסאָר משה יאַסור שטעלט אַרױס אױף דער בינע.
די דאָזיקע „מעשׂיות“ זײַנען באַזירט אױף פֿיר קורצע שאַפֿונגען פֿון פּאָעטישער פּראָזע, אַן אָפּקלײַב פֿון אַ צאָל אַזעלכע װאָס סוצקעװער האָט אַלײן גערופֿן „באַשרײַבונגען.“ די דאָזיקע טעקסטן זײַנען נישט קײן געװײנטלעכע קורצע דערצײלונגען. עס פֿעלט אָפֿט מאָל אַ קלאָרער נאַראַטיװ, און דערצו איז די אידענטיטעט פֿון נאַראַטאָר נישט קײן קלאָרע. די אמתע שװעריקײט, בײַם לײענער, שטעקט אָפֿט מאָל אינעם לשון אַלײן. דער װאָקאַבולאַר ניצט אױס די גאַנצע פּאַליטרע פֿון אַ צאָל תּחומען פֿון קונסט, װילנער קאָלאָריט, ייִדישן לעבן, און דער אונטערװעלט. ס׳איז אַ ליטעראַרישער מאָדערניזם װאָס שרעקט זיך נישט פֿאַר קײן טעמע. אױך די זאַצן זײַנען נישט אַלע מאָל גרינג צו דעשיפֿרירן.
מע דאַרף אױך דערמאָנען אַז די מעשׂיות קומען פֿאָר אין אַ װעלט װאָס איז פֿאַרשאָטנט מיטן ייִדישן חורבן, אין אַ מין גרענעץ־זאָנע צװישן דער איצטיקײט פֿון טראַװמאַטיזירטן זכּרון, דעם היסטאָרישן אַמאָל, און די נאָך־װײענישן פֿון אומקום, פֿון די ערשטע יאָרצענדליקער נאָכן חורבן, װען דער מחבר האָט באַשאַפֿן אָט די פּראָזעװערק.
די קאָמפּליצירטקײט פֿון טעקסט, און דער דוחק פֿון אַ קלאָרן סיפּור־המעשׂה, שטעלט צו צװײ געלעגנהײטן, אָדער מע קען זאָגן — שוועריקייטן: ערשטנס, אַז די אַקטיאָרן אַלײן זאָלן באַהערשן יעדן פּרט פֿון דער שפּראַך, און אַרײַנהױכן אין די װערטער די עמאָציעס און זשעסטן װאָס זאָלן העלפֿן אָריענטירן דעם צוקוקער (בפֿרט די װאָס פֿאַרלאָזן זיך אױף די ענגלישע אײבערטיטלען) דורכן טונקעלן װאַלד פֿון האַלב־פֿאַנטאַזירטן, האַלב־היסטאָרישן אומקום.
דער צװײטער ציל בײַם פֿאַרשטיין די פּיעסע איז אַ דראַמאַטישע: װי אַזױ קען דער רעזשיסאָר אינסצענירן די פּאָעטישע טעקסטן אױף דער בינע? יאַסור ספּראַװעט זיך דערמיט מיט קלאָרע באַשלוסן. זײַן טענדענץ איז צו זײַן מינימאַליסטיש. ער פּרוּװט נישט קאָנקרעט שילדערן די מאָדנע אימאַזשן און געשעענישן װאָס שװעבן דורך סוצקעװערס מעשׂיות. דער גראַפֿישער דיזײַן, און די מוזיק, דינען גיכער ווי אַ ציל פֿון סוגעסטיע, דמיונדיקע רמזים. צום קלערסטן קומט דאָס צום אױסדרוקן אין דער ערשטער מעשׂה „קינדערשע הענטלעך,“ װוּ בלױז אַ בילד פֿון אַזעלכע האַנטדרוקן זײַנען מרמז אױף דער גאַנצער סצענע.
אין „לופּוס,“ אַ דיאַלאָג צװישן אַן איזאָלירטן אַלכעמיסטישן פּאַרשױן (אין סוצקעװערס לשון, אַן „איבערכעמיקער“), און אַ באַשעפֿעניש װאָס לעבט אױף פֿונעם שאָטן פֿון אַ מת, איז יאַסורס צוגאַנג אַ געראָטענער: דאָס ליכט װאָס באַלײַכט דעם העלדס עקספּערימענטאַלער אַרבעט װאַרפֿט אַ שאָטן אױף אַ װאַנט, װאָס װערט אַלײן, דורך בייקערס קונציקע תּנועות און באַװעגונגען, דער פּאַרטנער אין דעם שמועס. בכלל לאָזט זיך אױס, דורך יאַסורס רעזשי, אַז לופּוס איז מחיה־המתים — זיך אַלײן. זיכער איז דאָס נישט דער אײנציקער אופֿן צו פֿאַרשטײן די דאָזיקע מעשׂה, נאָר מע װערט דערפֿון איבערצײַגט, און נתפּעל.
דער צװײטער צוגאַנג װאָס וואַרפֿט זיך אין די אױגן, װידער אױף אַ הצלחהדיקן אופֿן, האָט געהאַט צו טאָן מיט דער פּראָבלעם פֿון נאַראַטאָר אין סוצקעװערס מעשׂיות. אָפֿט מאָל רעדט דער נאַראַטאָר אין ערשטן פּערזאָן, און, װי געזאָגט, איז נישט אַלע מאָל קלאָר בײַם לײענער װער דאָס איז – אַ מאַן, אַ פֿרױ, אַ מת, אַ שד…? דערצו שטעלט זיך אַ פּראַקטישע פֿראַגע פֿון אינסצענירונג: נישט אַלע מאָל איז אינטערעסאַנט פֿאַרן עולם, אַז אײן קול, אָדער אײן אַקטיאָר, זאָל אױסשפּילן אַ גאַנצע דערציילונג װי אַן אײנצלנע דאָמינאַנטע פֿיגור.
איז אַ גליק אַז יאַסור, און די דאָזיקע אַקטיאָרן, שאַפֿן צוזאַמען אַ קלײנע געזעלשאַפֿט מיט בלױז צװײ פֿיגורן אױף דער בינע. אין „דאָרט, װוּ עס נעכטיקן די שטערן“, װערן די צװײ אַ פּאָרל װאָס שטעלט זיך אַרױס פֿונעם קעצישן, אָדער גאָר פֿאַרפֿירערישן זכּרון, פֿון אַ פֿרױ װעמענס אידענטיטעט איז אַלײן נישט קלאָר. די גוטמוטיקע גרײטקײט פֿון בייקער איז דערגאַנצט געוואָרן פֿון דער יענװעלטיקער צעדרײטקײט פֿון סגלס שדיכע־געשטאַלט.
אין דער לעצטער מעשׂה, „פּאָרטרעט אין בלױען סװעטער,“ בײַטן זיך אױס די רעפּליקעס פֿון די צװײ אַקטיאָרן, עלעהײ זײ לײענען בײדע פֿונעם נאַראַטאָרס זכרונות. אַזױ באַקומט זיך אַ פּיעסע בתּוך אַ פּיעסע, בשעת די צװײ אַקטיאָרן שפּילן אױס מעשׂיות איבערגעגעבן פֿון דער מעשׂהס נאַראַטאָר. ס׳איז כּדאַי צו באַמערקן, אַז יאַסור, און די אַקטיאָרן, שפּילן זיך פֿרײַ מיט פֿאַרשײדענע השׂגות פֿון מין (דזשענדער), אױף אַן אופֿן װאָס איז גאַנץ פֿאַרשפּרײט אין טעאַטער בכלל און אינעם ייִדישן טעאַטער בפֿרט. אױך אין דער דאָזיקער מעשׂה האָט מען אַרױסגעהױבן די אַנדערשקײטן פֿונעם װילנער נאַראַטאָר, אין פֿאַרגלײַך מיטן לשון פֿון װאַרשע װוּ דער אײגנטימער פֿון „סװעטער“ זוכט זײַן (צי איר) מזל. אַ „לוטװאַק“, ווי באַקאַנט, װערט נישט אַלע מאָל רעספּעקטירט פֿון די װאַרשעװער….
בײַם אױפֿנעמען די אַפּלאָדיסמענטן פֿונעם דאַנקבאַרן עולם, האָט בייקער באַמערקט מיט אַנטױשונג אַז נישט אַלע זיצפּלעצער זײַנען פֿאַרנומען געװאָרן, כאָטש ס׳איז דער אָװנט פֿון ערבֿ־ניטל, װען מע װאָלט געדאַרפֿט זײַן פֿרײַ פֿון דער אַרבעט און גערן שטיצן אַ ייִדישע פֿאָרשטעלונג. לאָמיר נעמען די געלעגנהײט אַרױסצוהײבן די הויכע קװאַליטעט און אַמביציעס פֿון דער דאָזיקער אױפֿפֿירונג, אױסגעצײכנט געשפּילט און שאַפֿעריש רעזשיסירט, און מוטיקן אונדזערע לײענערס אָנצופֿילן די ערטער.
The post Poetry in drama: Sutzkever’s stories come alive on the stage appeared first on The Forward.
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Explosion at Alawite Mosque in Syria’s Homs Kills Eight
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
Eight people were killed in an explosion at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
SANA cited Syrian Health Ministry official Najib al-Naasan as saying 18 others were wounded and that the figures were not final, indicating they could rise.
The city’s press office said an explosive device had detonated inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque and that security forces had cordoned off the area. A local security official told SANA that the identity of the perpetrator and any affiliation to violent groups were still unknown.
Local official Issam Naameh told Reuters the blast occurred during Friday noon prayers.
Syria‘s foreign ministry condemned the blast as a “terrorist crime.” Regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Qatar also condemned the attack.
Syrian state media SANA published footage of rescuers and security forces examining debris splayed across the mosque’s green carpet.
Syria has been rocked by several episodes of sectarian violence since longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, was ousted by a rebel offensive last year and replaced by a government led by members of the Sunni Muslim majority.
Earlier this month, two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria by an attacker described by the authorities as a suspected member of the Islamic State, a violent Sunni Muslim group.
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Southern Yemeni Separatists Dismiss Saudi Call to Withdraw From Eastern Provinces
A drone view shows people attending a rally organized by Yemen’s main separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), in Aden, Yemen, Dec. 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
Yemen’s main southern separatist group rejected on Friday a Saudi call for its forces to withdraw from areas it seized earlier in December, saying it will continue securing the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra.
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it remains hopeful the Southern Transitional Council (STC) will end an escalation and withdraw its forces from the provinces, after the group claimed broad control of the south and pushed the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government from its headquarters in Aden.
The group said in a statement posted on its account on X that its military operations in the two provinces were to combat security threats, including cutting supplies to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists who control the north of the country.
Situated between Saudi Arabia and an important shipping route on the Red Sea, Yemen was split into northern and southern states until 1990.
AIRSTRIKES IN HADRAMOUT
In Hadramout, an escalation of fighting on Thursday killed two people from the STC’s Hadhrami Elite Forces, the group said in its statement.
Armed groups had ambushed STC forces in the Ghail bin Yamin area in the east of the province, but the forces managed to regain control of the area, a source from the group – speaking on condition of anonymity – told Reuters.
Saudi airstrikes followed early on Friday, targeting the STC forces in the area, the source added.
The STC said the “surprising” airstrikes will not “serve any path to an understanding, nor will they deter the people of southern Yemen from continuing their struggle to restore their full rights.”
Saudi Arabia did not confirm the strikes.
The kingdom said in its Thursday statement that a joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation was sent to Aden on Dec. 12 to make “the necessary arrangements” to ensure the return of STC forces to their previous positions outside the two provinces, adding that the efforts were still in progress.
The STC said on Friday that the group was open to any “coordination or arrangements based on guaranteeing the security, unity, and integrity of the south, and ensuring that security threats do not recur.”
The group added that any arrangements should “fulfil the aspirations and will of the people of south of Yemen,” as well as “the shared interests” with Saudi Arabia.
UAE WELCOMES SAUDI EFFORTS
The United Arab Emirates, which supports the STC, welcomed on Friday Saudi Arabian efforts to support security and stability in Yemen, and said it remains committed to backing stability in the country.
“The UAE reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to supporting all endeavours aimed at strengthening stability and development in Yemen,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The STC was initially part of the Sunni Muslim Saudi-led alliance that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis. But the group has turned on the government and sought self-rule in the south.
Yemen has already been marred by a civil war since 2014, with the Houthis controlling the northern part of the country, including the capital Sanaa, after forcing the Saudi-backed government to flee south.